ROB WOUTAT | How parents can have a positive impact

Over the last 50 years the federal government has spent a lot of money trying to engage parents — especially low-income parents — and get them involved in their children’s education. The assumption was that parents’ involvement would have a beneficial effect on children’s learning. No Child Left Behind even required schools to set up parent committees and to communicate with parents in their native languages. The hope was that these steps would narrow the gap in achievement between middle class and lower class students.